Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 2, etc./Nebolsin

Review by: Jed Distler

Artistic Quality: 8

Sound Quality: 7

While not the most impassioned and poetic reading of Chopin’s F minor concerto to be had, there’s much to be said for Eldar Nebolsin’s forthright delivery of the solo part. I’m particularly struck by how he tends to take decorative passages more-or-less in tempo, making expressive points mainly through dynamic gradations and shifts in articulation (the Allegretto vivace’s main theme and the Maestoso’s second subject, for example). However, the pianist’s finest work occurs in the incisively characterized Là ci darem la mano variations and the languid yet beautifully spun out Andante spianato. Unfortunately, a harsh, blurry recording quality lessens whatever impact Antoni Wit and his splendid Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra may have made aside from the microphones, while by contrast, Nebolsin’s closely miked piano seems to inhabit a different acoustic. Incidentally, this recording of the F minor concerto purports to be the first to use the new Polish National Chopin Edition, yet the annotations discuss nothing about what the text entails, nor what distinguishes it from its predecessors.

Latest 10 / 10 Reviews

In the first couple of decades after the advent of the CD, new and reissued Christmas releases were as plentiful as the stars in a clear winter sky. It seemed that every label, along with every choir,... Continue Reading

Michael Tilson Thomas has always been an outstanding Debussy conductor. This release partially revisits his first recording of the composer's music--a magical Images and Afternoon of a Faun with the B... Continue Reading

With the Six French Suites, Murray Perahia’s first release under contract to Deutsche Grammophon continues his standard-setting Bach legacy that began at Sony Classical with the English Suites in 19... Continue Reading

Latest Music Reviews

Everything today has a title, usually a "journey," "project," or "voyage." It's stupid, pointless, and to me, aggravating. Why not call it "The Tchaikovsky Ordeal," or "Fiesta," or "Extravaganza," or ... Continue Reading

Max Reger’s three-movement Violin Concerto has fared quite well on CD, with at least two reference-worthy versions (Wallin/Schirmer on CPO; Scherzer/Blomstedt on Berlin Classics) that do justice to ... Continue Reading

Every so often it’s nice to take a break from operas with deep meanings and just feel like a bit of French royalty at Versailles in 1784, where this sweet, fluffy operetta was first performed. L'ép... Continue Reading

Partner Sites

Streaming Audio & Downloads

Classics Today Insider

Exclusive music reviews and news, created specifically for classical music listeners, from the serious collector to the inquisitive newcomer. This is not a fancy, high-gloss “e-zine,” but rather a simple, straightforward newsletter-style section of our website designed for ease of reading and packing the maximum amount of useful information into each issue.